SME'S SUPPORT AND REGIONAL POLICY IN EU - THE NORTE-LITORAL PORTUGUESE EXPERIENCE

Table 1

The clusters presented in Table 1 are relatively stable over method variations and reveal
some interesting relations. We can observe that two clusters concentrate 94% of the 106
firms studied, with two others of minor importance in terms of number of firms. The
results highlight the following aspects:

• Cluster 3 shows an investment profile in which IPROD2 is very high and clearly
above the mean. It corresponds to static modernisation of firms based on new
productive equipment (with effects also on INPUT2), which is in line with the
dominant SME entrepreneurial model. It seems that these firms are not changing
their understanding of the new rules of competition;

• Cluster 2 exhibits a largely dominant role of variables GEST2 and SATIS2. Firms
of this cluster are investing in new technologies to modernise management activities
and are more client oriented. This corresponds to dynamic modernisation, which
means that these firms have begun to change, but the dynamic factors that were
chosen are not strong enough to sustain competitive advantages;

• Cluster 4 displays a great relevance of variable QUALI2 and a significative
importance of variable SATIS2. Firms of this group have chosen offensive
investment in order to prepare themselves for the new competitive conditions;

• Cluster 1 presents exceptional values in variable RD2. The two firms in this cluster
were able to apply for an investment project with a large R&D component outside
the specific SME-CI ‘measure for technological competence acquisition’. Just as in
Cluster 4, this corresponds to an offensive investment policy.

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